Lauderhill, Inverrary Continue Opposition To Building School X

LAUDERHILL - — The Broward school board took another step toward building Elementary School X in the city, but opposition from city officials and the Inverrary Association continues.

The board submitted an application to the city, outlining the impact a 1,000-student school would have on Lauderhill's water and sewer facilities, park system and streets.

"This is the first part of the process we have to go through to let the city know what our plans are," said Ed Marko, an attorney for the school district. "If the city rejects the application, we have a problem. If not, the problem goes away."

The city likely will reject it.

"Our staff is going to review the application and we'll make a determination afterward," Mayor Ilene Lieberman said. "But we don't think a public school is a permitted use for the site."

The city turned down the school several times when it was proposed for its original site, at Northwest 25th St., just west of Northwest 56th Ave. near the Circle Condominiums.

The city said that site was bad because it was too isolated, would have overburdened narrow city streets and was too close to Royal Palm Elementary.

Last year, School Superintendent Frank Petruzielo agreed to look at other sites. He settled on the Baytree site, and the board paid $2.75 million for 12.1 acres of a 20-acre site on the northwest corner of West Oakland Park and Inverrary boulevards.

Inverrary residents and city officials protested, saying students would have to walk near one of the most congested and dangerous intersections in Broward.

The city and Inverrary think they have legal grounds to prevent the school. An agreement signed in 1989 among the city, Baytree owner William Ringham and Inverrary that prohibits certain uses of the site, including a public school.

Attorneys for Ringham argue that the agreement should not stand because it allows private schools.

"All of these benefits the city supposedly would receive are extraneous," Lieberman said. "None of that matters because a public school is not allowed there."

City Attorney Dick Michelson put it succinctly: "A deal is a deal. If there's an agreement, it stands."

School officials are hopeful the school will be built.

"The onus is on the seller to get the approval we need to build the school," said Ray de la Feuilliez, associate superintendent of facilities. "If we don't get approval, the school district is not obligated to buy the property."

Meanwhile, crowding con-tinues.

Those schools have a capacity of 3,006 students. They opened for the year with 5,744 students.